Landslide Activity in the Americas for the Cover of Earth's Future
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- Visualizations by:
- Helen-Nicole Kostis
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- Scientific consulting by:
- Dalia B Kirschbaum and
- Thomas A. Stanley
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- Produced by:
- Ryan Fitzgibbons
- View full credits
This print-resolution still image was created for the cover of the March 2018 issue of Earth's Future. In an article in the same issue, NASA scientists Dalia Kirschbaum and Thomas Stanley describe the new model they developed to look at potential landslide activity.
Landslides occur when an environmental trigger like an extreme rain event, often a severe storm or hurricane, and gravity's downward pull sets soil and rock in motion. Conditions beneath the surface are often unstable already, so the heavy rains act as the last straw that causes mud, rocks, or debris- or all combined- to move rapidly down mountains and hillsides. Unfortunately, people and property are often swept up in these unexpected mass movements. Landslides can also be caused by earthquakes, surface freezing and thawing, ice melt, the collapse of groundwater reservoirs, volcanic eruptions, and erosion at the base of a slope from the flow of river or ocean water. But torrential rains most commonly activate landslides.
A new model has been developed to look at how potential landslide activity is changing around the world. A global Landslide Hazard Assessment model for Situational Awareness (LHASA) has been developed to provide an indication of where and when landslides may be likely around the world every 30min. This model uses surface susceptibility (including slope, vegetation, road networks, geology, and forest cover loss) and satellite rainfall data from the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission to provide moderate to high “nowcasts.” This data driven still image shows the landslide nowcast in the Americas for the month of January leveraging nearly two decades of Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) rainfall over 2001-2016 to identify a landslide climatology by month at a 1 km grid cell.
For more information about the newly developed model, please visit: New NASA Model Finds Landslide Threats in Near Real-Time During Heavy Rains
For More Information
See the following sources:
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio
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Visualizers
- Helen-Nicole Kostis (USRA) [Lead]
- Horace Mitchell (NASA/GSFC)
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Scientists
- Dalia B Kirschbaum (NASA/GSFC) [Lead]
- Thomas A. Stanley (USRA) [Lead]
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Producers
- Ryan Fitzgibbons (KBR Wyle Services, LLC) [Lead]
- Joy Ng (KBR Wyle Services, LLC)
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Project support
- Eric Sokolowsky (Global Science and Technology, Inc.)
- Joycelyn Thomson Jones (NASA/GSFC)
- Leann Johnson (Global Science and Technology, Inc.)
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Technical support
- Ian Jones (ADNET Systems, Inc.)
- Laurence Schuler (ADNET Systems, Inc.)
Missions
This visualization is related to the following missions:Papers used in this visualization
Dalia Kirschbaum and Thomas Stanley, Satellite-Based Assessment of Rainfall-Triggered Landslide Hazard for Situational Awareness, Earth's Future, Volume 6, Issue 3, March 2018, Pages 297-616, ISSN 2328-4277, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017EF000715
Datasets used in this visualization
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Global Landslide Model (Global Landslide Hazard Assessment for Situational Awareness (LHASA))
ID: 1001https://pmm.nasa.gov/applications/global-landslide-modelThe global Landslide Hazard Assessment for Situational Awareness (LHASA) model is developed to provide situational awareness of landslide hazards for a wide range of users. Precipitation is
See all pages that use this dataset
Note: While we identify the data sets used in these visualizations, we do not store any further details, nor the data sets themselves on our site.
Related Pages
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ID: 13126 Produced Video
Predicting Landslides
Read moreWhen the rain falls, the land slides. || ClimatologyJanuary_Cover_16x9.png (1280x720) [966.0 KB] || ClimatologyJanuary_Cover_16x9_1024x576.jpg (1024x576) [96.2 KB] || ClimatologyJanuary_Cover_16x9_1024x576_print.jpg (1024x576) [57.3 KB] || ClimatologyJanuary_Cover_16x9_1024x576_thm.png (80x40) [4.4 KB] || ClimatologyJanuary_Cover_16x9_1024x576_searchweb.png (320x180) [53.8 KB] ||
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ID: 4710 Visualization
Global Landslide Catalog (update 2019)
Read moreUsing the Global Landslide Catalog (GLC), a world map has been produced to show the location of 11,033 reported landslides triggered by rainfall for the period 2007-2019 (last update 02.29.19). In this version, all landslide locations have the same visual treatment without pointing out which ones had fatalities. This version has been created for kids and educational purposes. || TotalLandslides_Catalog2019_print.jpg (1024x576) [86.8 KB] || TotalLandslides_Catalog2019_searchweb.png (320x180) [38.3 KB] || TotalLandslides_Catalog2019_thm.png (80x40) [5.7 KB] || TotalLandslides_Catalog2019.tif (3840x2160) [1.8 MB] ||
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ID: 4631 Visualization
Global Landslide Hazard Assessment Model (LHASA) with Global Landslide Catalog (GLC) data
Read moreLandslides occur when an environmental trigger like an extreme rain event, often a severe storm or hurricane, and gravity's downward pull sets soil and rock in motion. Conditions beneath the surface are often unstable already, so the heavy rains act as the last straw that causes mud, rocks, or debris- or all combined- to move rapidly down mountains and hillsides. Unfortunately, people and property are often swept up in these unexpected mass movements. Landslides can also be caused by earthquakes, surface freezing and thawing, ice melt, the collapse of groundwater reservoirs, volcanic eruptions, and erosion at the base of a slope from the flow of river or ocean water. But torrential rains most commonly activate landslides. A new model has been developed to look at how potential landslide activity is changing around the world. A global Landslide Hazard Assessment model for Situational Awareness (LHASA) has been developed to provide an indication of where and when landslides may be likely around the world every 30min. This model uses surface susceptibility (including slope, vegetation, road networks, geology, and forest cover loss) and satellite rainfall data from the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission to provide moderate to high “nowcasts.” This visualization shows the landslide nowcast results leveraging nearly two decades of Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) rainfall over 2001-2016 to identify a landslide climatology by month at a 1 km grid cell. The average nowcast values by month highlight the key landslide hotspots, such as the Southeast Asia during the monsoon season in June through August and the U.S. Pacific Northwest in December and January. Overlaid with these nowcasts values are a Global Landslide Catalog (GLC) was developed with the goal of identifying rainfall-triggered landslide events around the world, regardless of size, impact, or location. The GLC considers all types of mass movements triggered by rainfall, which have been reported in the media, disaster databases, scientific reports, or other sources. The visualization shows the distribution of landslides each month based on the estimated number of fatalities the event caused. The GLC has been compiled since 2007 at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and contains over 11,000 reports and growing. A new project called the Community the Cooperative Open Online Landslide Repository, or COOLR, provides the opportunity for the community to view landslide reports and contribute their own. The goal of the COOLR project is to create the largest global public online landslide catalog available and open to for anyone everyone to share, download, and analyze landslide information. More information on this system is available at: https://landslides.nasa.govThe Global Landslide Catalog is currently available here: https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/global-landslide-catalog-export ||
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ID: 4640 Visualization
Close-up Views of the Global Landslide Hazard Assessment Model (LHASA) overlaid with Global Landslide Catalog (GLC) data
Read moreA close-up view of the potential landslide activity during July in Southeast Asia as evaluated by NASA's Landslide Hazard Assessment model for Situational Awareness. In the Download tab to the right, a set of 12 still images provides high-resolution (9,600x5,400) global maps to allow for close-up views in any location around the world. The images showcase the landslide climatology by month overload with the distribution of reported landslide fatalities for the period 2007-2017. || 07_ClimatologyMonthlyFatalities_032818_Asia_CloseUp_print.jpg (1024x576) [188.1 KB] || 07_ClimatologyMonthlyFatalities_032818_Asia_CloseUp_searchweb.png (320x180) [84.5 KB] || 07_ClimatologyMonthlyFatalities_032818_Asia_CloseUp_thm.png (80x40) [7.7 KB] || 07_ClimatologyMonthlyFatalities_032818_Asia_CloseUp.tif (1920x1080) [7.9 MB] || frames/9600x5400_16x9_30p/MonthlyClimatologyFatalities/ (9600x5400) [4.0 KB] ||
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ID: 4632 Visualization
Global Landslide Catalog (Update 2017)
Read moreThis entry contains updated maps generated for Glocal Landslide Catalog Aids View From Space, released on April 16, 2015Landslides are among the most common and dramatic natural hazards, reshaping landscapes -- and anything in their path. Tracking when and where landslides occur worldwide has historically been difficult, because of the lack of a centralized database across all nations. But NASA researchers have updated the first publicly available Global Landslide Catalog (GLC), based on media reports and online databases that bring together many sources of information on landslides that have occurred. The GLC has been compiled since 2007 at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and was originally released in 2010. Around 10,804 landslides are noted in the catalog for the period 2007-2017. This wealth of data gives scientists a starting point to analyze where, how and why landslides are likely to occur. The catalog is currently available here: https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/global-landslide-catalog-exportRecently, a new model was developed to look at how potential landslide activity is changing around the world. A global Landslide Hazard Assessment model for Situational Awareness (LHASA) has been developed to provide an indication of where and when landslides may be likely around the world every 30 minutes. This model uses surface susceptibility (including slope, vegetation, road networks, geology, and forest cover loss) and satellite rainfall data from the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission to provide moderate to high “nowcasts.” For more information about this new model, please visit: New NASA Model Finds Landslide Threats in Near Real-Time During Heavy Rains" ||
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ID: 4305 Visualization
Global Rainfall-Triggered Landslides from 2007 through 2015
Read moreRainfall-triggered landslides over population data from January 2007 through March 2015 in Asia and the Himalayan Arc. || AsianRainfall-TriggeredLandslides_Population_0075_print.jpg (1024x576) [102.6 KB] || AsianRainfall-TriggeredLandslides_Population_0075_searchweb.png (320x180) [52.3 KB] || AsianRainfall-TriggeredLandslides_Population_0075_thm.png (80x40) [5.2 KB] || AsianRainfall-TriggeredLandslides_Population_2007_2015_id4305.wmv (1920x1080) [16.4 MB] || AsianRainfall-TriggeredLandslides_Population_2007_2015_id4305.mp4 (1920x1080) [24.0 MB] || frames/1920x1080_16x9_30p/asian-rim/ (1920x1080) [128.0 KB] || AsianRainfall-TriggeredLandslides_Population_0075.tif (1920x1080) [1.2 MB] || AsianRainfall-TriggeredLandslides_Population_2007_2015_id4305.webm (1920x1080) [3.9 MB] || AsianRainfall-TriggeredLandslides_Population_2007_2015_id4305.m4v (640x360) [3.6 MB] ||
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ID: 4304 Visualization
Global Rainfall-Triggered Landslides and Global Precipitation from IMERG
Read moreThis visualization shows rainfall-triggered landslides and precipitation from August and September of 2014 in Asia and the Himalayan Arc. || AsianLandslides_Precip_Population_1620_print.jpg (1024x576) [161.5 KB] || AsianLandslides_Precip_Population_1620_searchweb.png (320x180) [81.7 KB] || AsianLandslides_Precip_Population_1620_thm.png (80x40) [7.3 KB] || AsianRainfall-TriggeredLandslides.wmv (1920x1080) [117.3 MB] || AsianRainfall-TriggeredLandslides.mp4 (1920x1080) [92.0 MB] || frames/5760x3240_16x9_30p/india/ (1920x1080) [256.0 KB] || frames/1920x1080_16x9_30p/composite/asian/ (1920x1080) [256.0 KB] || AsianLandslides_Precip_Population_1620.tif (1920x1080) [7.9 MB] || AsianRainfall-TriggeredLandslides.webm (1920x1080) [19.4 MB] || AsianRainfall-TriggeredLandslides_Precip_Population.m4v (640x360) [17.5 MB] ||
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ID: 12897 Produced Video
New NASA Model Finds Landslide Threats in Near Real-Time During Heavy Rains
Read moreA new model has been developed to look at how potential landslide activity is changing around the world. A global Landslide Hazard Assessment model for Situational Awareness (LHASA) has been developed to provide an indication of where and when landslides may be likely around the world every 30 minutes. This model uses surface susceptibility (including slope, vegetation, road networks, geology, and forest cover loss) and satellite rainfall data from the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission to provide moderate to high “nowcasts.” This visualization shows the landslide nowcast results leveraging nearly two decades of Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) rainfall over 2001-2016 to identify a landslide climatology by month at a 1 km grid cell. The average nowcast values by month highlight the key landslide hotspots, such as the Southeast Asia during the monsoon season in June through August and the U.S. Pacific Northwest in December and January. Overlaid with these nowcasts values are a Global Landslide Catalog(GLC) that was developed with the goal of identifying rainfall-triggered landslide events around the world, regardless of size, impact, or location. The GLC considers all types of mass movements triggered by rainfall, which have been reported in the media, disaster databases, scientific reports, or other sources. The visualization shows the distribution of landslides each month based on the estimated number of fatalities the event caused. The GLC has been compiled since 2007 at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and contains over 11,000 reports and growing. A new project called the Community the Cooperative Open Online Landslide Repository, or COOLR, provides the opportunity for the community to view landslide reports and contribute their own. The goal of the COOLR project is to create the largest global public online landslide catalog available and open to for anyone everyone to share, download, and analyze landslide information. More information on this system is available at: https://landslides.nasa.gov. Landslides occur when an environmental trigger like an extreme rain event, often a severe storm or hurricane, and gravity's downward pull sets soil and rock in motion. Conditions beneath the surface are often unstable already, so the heavy rains act as the last straw that causes mud, rocks, or debris- or all combined- to move rapidly down mountains and hillsides. Unfortunately, people and property are often swept up in these unexpected mass movements. Landslides can also be caused by earthquakes, surface freezing and thawing, ice melt, the collapse of groundwater reservoirs, volcanic eruptions, and erosion at the base of a slope from the flow of river or ocean water. But torrential rains most commonly activate landslides.For more information: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2018/new-from-nasa-tracking-landslide-hazards-new-nasa-model-finds-landslide-threats-in-near-real ||
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